Tube support and clamp for punching machines



July 30, 1963 E. E. ALvERsoN TUBE SUPPORT AND CLAMP FOR PUNCHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 1. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l [ARL AU/[RSO/V July 30, 1963 E. E. ALvERsoN TUBE SUPPORT AND CLAMP FOR PUNCHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [ARL AL w50/v BY QM/OZI ATTORNEYS 3,099,182 Patented July 30, 1963 3,099,182 TUBE SUPPORT AND CLAMP FUR PUNCHING MACHHNES Earl E. Alverson, North Birmingham, Aia., assigner' to Southeastern Metals Company, North Birmingham,

Ala., a corporation of Alabama Filied Feb. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 86,343 1 Claim. (Ci. S3 383) The present invention is directed to machines `for punching a hole diametrically through a length of tubing and is more particularly concerned with a self-operating clamp for the tubing which cla-mp forms a part of the punching machine.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide elements forming an automatically and quick acting tube support Iand clamp which elements are readily combined with existing tube punching machines or can be formed with such machines -d-uring their initial production.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a tube support Ias part o-f a tube clamping device which support provides a base at all times for tubing being present to and through punching machine, that is before, during and after the punching operation and also provide a passageway for the machine punch extending from the supported tubing upon said punch extending through said tub-ing.

Another and eq-ually important object of the invention is to provide a tube punch and clamp having a base for supporting tubing and cooperating with a driven punch for forming an opening through said tubing as well a-s with elements for clamping said tubing to said base operable with said punch, but normally retained in a non-clamping position leaving said tubing free for movement on or from said base.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a quick acting device operable by -a tube punching machine for firmly holding a section of tube at its portion to be penetrated by said punch, which device automatically releases the tube except at such times as it is contacted by the punch and comprises positive acting non-binding elements which operate regard-less of the presence of foreign material such as tine portions of metal, dirt and the like such asaccumulate in metal working are-as.

Further objects of the invention will be in part pointed out in the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is -an end view of a portion of a punching press including the tube support and clamp forming the present invention with the elements thereof in their released position.

FIG. 2 is a view simil-ar to FIG. l, but with the elements in their tube clamping position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section taken substantially at right angles to FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 6 6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an end elevation of the base forming part of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of said base; and

FIG. 9' is a cross-sectional view taken on 4line 9 9 of FIG. 7.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, A indicates a vertically reciprocating driven p-lun-ger forming part of a punching press, while B refers to the vertical support and guide of said press, while C indicates the table of the press. These elements A, B and C are shown merely by way of an example as various types of devices having a vertically driven plunger and table can be employed with the tube support and clamp forming the present invention.

Plunger A has a punch retainer i1 connected to the lower face thereof and into which the end 2 of a punch 3 is inserted and lfastened for moving said punch 3 vertically upwardly and downwardiy towards table C.

A cam 4 providing the operating element of the present device has a base 5 connected to the lower face of said plunger by a plurality of bolts 6. The upright 7 of said cam is suiiicient length so that the end 9 extends slightly beyond punch 3 with `an inwardly slanting face 8 provided adjacent said end 9 and extending inwardly on a slant towards said end and the axis of upright 7.

A ltube support `lltlr has an elongation 11 terminated by a iat end 12, adjacent which is provided a J-shaped recess 13 extending to the flat end 1d of a second extension 15 of said base. A bore 16 extends from said recess 13 substantially perpendicular thereto within said base to a shoulder 17 where .a second bore 1S of a relatively small diameter extends concentric with said tirst bore.

A pair of bores .19 each extend into said support on an opposite side of bore 16 at substantially right angles thereto. Said support further has a base 20 with recessed side 211 connected by a circular opening ZZ.

A jaw 23 of substantially an L configuration has a bottom recess y2d providing arms 25 and 26 which are substantially parallel and spaced apart for receiving the recessed portion 2.1 of base 2t? therebetween with openings 27 extending through said arms with a pin 28 extending through openings 27 and 22 which pivotally connect said jaw to said support base.

Jaw 23 has a straight side 29 with an inwardly tapering cam surface 3d extending towards the axis of said jaw while the base 31 has a curved recessed surface 32 capable of encompassing a portion of the periphery of a tube. The top 33 of said jaw base extends substantially at right angles to the front side 34 which is substantially straight and said top 33 and side 34 are thus of a configuration and are positioned for mating with the side 35 and top 14 of the support 10 which side 35 is substantially straight and extends at substantially right angles to the at top 37 of base E@ and extends down to the at bottom 38 of said base forming one of the sides of the recessed portion 21 of base 2tlg while the second sides 36 of said recessed portion 21 extend substantially parallel to the sides 35 and are spaced apart to allow jaw 23 a limited pivoting action away from side 35 Ibefore the side 29 of said jaw contacts the sides 36 of said base and also the bottom 24 of said jaw encases lthe top 37 of said base.

Base 2d is detachably connected to table C by a plurality of bolts 39;

A pair of bores 4d and 41 Vare formed in jaw 23 and positioned for coinciding with openings 19 in said support when said jaw has side 34 contacting side 35 of the support with a pair of springs 42 and 43 positioned in openings N dti and 13 41 respectively tending to move 4said jaw yaway from said support to the position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings until stopped by the walls 36 and top 37 of said base. Said walls 36 are spaced from wall 35 to limit the pivoting of jaw 23 to the position of FIG. l placing cam surface 30 of said jaw beneath and in line with the inclined surface 8 of cam 4.

The punching press to be used with the present tube support and clamp may be of any known and conventional type having a plunger A which is driven in reciprocation to and from a table C by a mechanism (not shown) and the present elements 4 and 10 may be connected to existing presses or assembled during the production of new presses by means of the bolts 6 and 39 extending through the 3 plunger A and the table C and being in threaded engagement .with the baseiS or the table C respectively as indicated in the drawings by way of an example only. It is to be appreciated that the bolts may equally as well be in threaded enga-gement with the plunge-r A or the base 20.

The cam 4 is connected to the plunger A with its upright 7 extending substantially parallel to the punch 3 and with the bevelled face 8 slightly to the lett of cam face 30 of jaw 23 as viewed in FIG. 1.

Base Ztl` of the support is mounted upon the table C with the bores 16 and 18 forming a die bu-tton hole in line with the axis of punch 3 while the recessed surface 13 of said support extends substantially at right tangles to bore 16 for supporting a se-ction of a tube D at substantially right angles to the axis of said punch.

With the present tube support and clamp mounted and connected to the punch press, a tube D is placed in recessed surface 1.3 whereupon the punching press is placed in operation causing plunger A to move downwardly being guided by guide B towards the table C. Inclined surface 8 of cam 4 driven by said plunger will engage and slide along the cam surface 39 of jaw 23 pivoting said jaw until the recessed surface 31?.A thereof engages the periphery of tube D pressing the same into recess 13 where it is `retained by the leg 7 of said cam sliding along the rear face 29 of said jaw.

As s-oon as this clamping action :has taken place, the punch 3 whose end i-s slightly above end 9 of said cam will also engage the periphery of tube D in the space provided between the base 311 of jaw 2-3 and the projection l1 of support 10. Continued downward movement of plunger A will cause punch 3 -to pass through the wall of tube D at diametrically opposite points form-ing an opening therethrough and con-tinue into bore 16. The punch is thereafter lwithdrawn from tube D by the return stroke of plunger A which also withdraws cam 4 from jaw 23. As soon as said cam disengages jaw 23, springs 421 and 43 cause jaw 2310 move `away lfrom tube D releasing the tube which is still supported by a recessed surface 13 but can be slid therealong or withdrawn therefrom as desired.

The .aforementioned operation is repeated upon each reciprocation of plunger A with the result that the tube can receive a series of punched openings rapidly and the support and clamping of the ltube during each punching operation is entirely automatic with the result that the operator has merely to -slide the tube along support i to the proper section of the tubing to receive each opening therethrough as required.

The present` device is capable of considerable modificaing a table, an upright base tixedly mounted on said table i and having a top end and a straight side, said base top end having a recess extending thereacross -with one side of said recess being shorter than the other side giving a J- t' shaped cross-sectional configuration to said recess for supporting a portion of a tube therein and further having a il-at end extending between the shorter side of said recess and said base straight side, said base further having an opening extending from within said recess of said base top end towards said table, a jaw having one end pivotally connected to said base below said base flat end for being pivoted to and from said base side, said jaw having an intermediate portion of a configuration for mating Iwith said base side and flat end whe-n pivoted against said base side and a laterally extending opposite end portion with a side recess positioned for extending contiguous with said base top end recess shorter side when said jaw mates with said base, but spaced `from said base top end recess longer side retaining said tube in said top end recess, resilient means extending between said base and said jaw tending to pivot said jaw from said base, said jaw further having a sidewall with a cam surface on a side lthereof opposite to said side recess, a punch carrying plunger positioned above said base top and moveable to and from said base for inserting said punch between said base top recess llonger side and said jaw side recess into said base opening, means for reciprocating said plunger, a cam carried by said plunger Kfor movement therewith in advance of said punch and positioned tfor engaging 4said jaw cam surface for pivoting said jaw into its mating position with said base and said jaw side recess into its tube retaining position whereby said punch can thereafter punch a hole through said tube and enter `said base opening and be withdrawn therefrom.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES lJATENTS 91,178 Stone June 8, 1869 378,893 McIntyre Mar. 6, 1888 472,311 McIntyre Apr. 5, 1892 1,152,239 Thomv Aug. 31, 1915 1,269,635 Newman June 18, 1918 1,283,829 Lesser Nov. 5, 1918 1,648,829 Sessions Nov. 8, 1927 2,361,595 Broersma Oct. 31, 1944 

